Chapter 32: Bogard's Sword! Water Breathing!
On the deck of the Doghead Battleship, the sea breeze was salty and damp.
Unlike the Marine soldiers around him who were undergoing daily training with thunderous shouts, one corner was exceptionally quiet.
Garp's subordinate, Bogard, stood with his eyes closed.
He wore a crisp suit, his figure as straight as a pine tree, holding the long sword that was never far from him.
The most peculiar thing was his breathing.
Exhale—
Inhale—
Each breath was long and rhythmic, his chest rising and falling at a specific frequency.
The surrounding air subtly flowed with his breathing, and faintly, one could even see faint white water vapor escaping from his nose and mouth, quickly dissipating in the wind.
The surrounding Marine soldiers subconsciously moved away from this area, secretly observing their usually taciturn superior with a mix of awe and incomprehension.
They didn't understand at all.
Officer Bogard's swordsmanship had always been renowned for its precision, swiftness, and lethality, considered the top-tier swordsmanship textbook within the Marine.
But these past few days, his training methods had become strange.
He no longer pursued extreme speed and power, but instead began practicing this odd breathing rhythm and some continuous, flowing sword techniques they had never seen before.
Just then.
Bogard suddenly opened his eyes!
His dark pupils were as calm as a deep pool.
"Total Concentration: Water Breathing…"
He murmured softly, his voice so light that only he could hear it.
"First Form: Water Surface Slash!"
Clang!
The long sword was drawn!
A blue slash, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, swept out!
The slash was not overbearing; there was no explosive roar of tearing air, nor the sharpness of cutting steel.
It was gentle, smooth, like the calmest lake surface being brushed by a breeze, sending out a ripple of perfect circles.
An elegant arc flashed and disappeared in the air.
Not far away, a heavy wooden stake specifically used for training silently broke into two smooth halves.
The cut was as smooth as a mirror!
Bogard slowly sheathed his sword, letting out a long, murky breath.
He looked at the sword in his hand, a hint of exploration in his eyes.
At White Night's recommendation, he entered the instance named "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Mount Natagumo."
It was a world filled with despair and wails, where creatures called 'demons' existed, possessing nearly immortal regenerative abilities and only appearing at night.
For Bogard, who had mastered Haki, these 'demons' were not particularly strong and were not difficult to deal with. But he found that simply relying on Haki to wear down their vitality was far less efficient and refined than the "Breathing Techniques" used by the swordsmen in that world.
And his greatest gain was this set of sword-breathing techniques called "Water Breathing."
It perfectly combined breathing, muscles, and blood flow, thereby unleashing strength beyond human limits in an instant.
Just as Bogard was deep in thought.
Boom!
A violent blue electric flash descended from the sky, crashing heavily onto the deck!
The entire Doghead Battleship suddenly sank, groaning under the strain!
The Marine soldiers were startled, stumbling and looking in horror at the center of the electric flash.
As the electric flash dissipated, Garp's burly figure was revealed. He even yawned and casually picked his nose.
"Oh?"
His gaze immediately fell on Bogard and the smoothly severed wooden stake next to him.
"Not bad, Bogard."
Garp grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.
"When did your swordsmanship become so flashy, and so powerful?"
Bogard turned and bowed slightly to Garp.
"Vice Admiral Garp."
As he spoke, he reverted to his usual image as a taciturn, emotionally reserved subordinate.
"I just learned some new techniques from Mr. White Night; I'm still in the exploratory stage."
"Cut the act!"
Garp walked over casually, his large, fan-like hand slapping heavily on Bogard's shoulder, making him sway.
"This old man's eyes aren't blind! Your strength has improved by more than a little bit! That kid White Night is indeed a treasure! Puhahahaha!"
Garp's laughter was incredibly boisterous.
Bogard didn't respond, just stood silently, but his expression was a bit more serious than usual.
"Vice Admiral Garp."
He spoke.
"There's something I need to report to you."
"Hmm?"
Garp stopped laughing and glanced at him.
"What is it? Did that guy Sengoku call again to urge me to write a report?"
"No."
Bogard shook his head, lowering his voice slightly.
"It's about… your Grandson."
The smile on Garp's face instantly vanished.
A sharp glint flashed in his seemingly cloudy eyes.
"Those three little rascals! What trouble have they stirred up for me now?!"
Bogard took out a stack of crumpled bounty posters from his pocket and handed them over.
"They've been very active near Mt. Colubo recently."
"This is urgent intelligence from the East Blue's 77th Branch. They… they captured a large number of pirates operating in the vicinity and then exchanged them for bounty money at the branch."
Garp was stunned.
He took the stack of bounty posters and quickly scanned them.
They ranged from small-time thugs worth hundreds of thousands of Berries to somewhat famous pirates worth two or three million Berries, everything was there.
Garp's movements stopped.
He looked up at Bogard, his expression extremely strange.
The surrounding air grew quiet.
After a few seconds.
"Pfft—"
"Puhahahahahahahahaha!!"
A earth-shattering roar of laughter suddenly erupted from Garp's throat!
He laughed so hard he was bending over, tears almost streaming out, the entire Doghead Battleship shaking violently with his laughter!
"Catch… catching pirates for money?!"
Garp slammed his fist onto the deck, directly punching a large hole in the thick wooden planks!
"Well done!!"
He roared, his face filled with unbridled ecstasy and pride!
"Truly worthy of being this old man's Grandson! That's more like it! That's this old man's blood!"
Garp crumpled the bounty posters in his hand into a ball of waste paper, his eyes flashing with excitement.
"Bogard!"
He suddenly roared.
Bogard immediately stood at attention, his eyes sharp.
"Sir!"
"Turn the ship around!"
Garp grinned broadly, looking incredibly happy.
"Destination, Foosha Village!"
"This old man wants to go see just how capable those brats have become!"
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